The use of artificial trees, and especially artificial Christmas trees, has become very popular. There are a number of reasons why it is desirable to use an artificial tree instead of a natural one. Natural trees are extremely varied in physical characteristics, e.g., size, shape, fullness, etc. and thus the selection of a tree with aesthetically pleasing physical characteristics is often a difficult task. On the other hand, artificial trees are uniformly made with physical characteristics which are pleasing to the eye. Also, artificial trees are durable and can be used repeatedly over a long period of time while natural trees are normally discarded or planted (depending on whether or not their root systems have been removed) after their first use. In addition, artificial trees are maintenance-free as compared to natural trees. Furthermore, artificial trees can be made of fire retardant materials for safe and comparatively clean use. Also, ecological considerations dictate the use of an artificial tree for obvious reasons.
Indeed, artificial trees have been developed to meet the popular demand therefor. U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,506 to Minteer discloses an artificial tree in which the branches are permanently connected to the trunk by pliable cables such that the branches can allegedly be conveniently folded against the trunk for storage purposes. However, the Minteer artificial tree is considered to have certain drawbacks. To provide fullness for a realistic appearance, it will readily be appreciated that a large number of limbs and small side branches must be provided. However, when folded for storage, the limbs and side branches will stack against each other resulting in an artificial tree which is cumbersome to store. Also, since the limbs are permanently connected to the tree trunk, detachment of the same for repair or replacement would be extremely difficult, if not almost impossible. In addition, since the electrical wires for the limbs run adjacent to and in contact with the pliable cables, the repeated bending of the cables for storage and use will inevitably weaken and possibly break the electrical wires, creting a hazardous condition. Also, the pliable cables and perhaps the electrical wires running through the limbs are the only elements providing structural support to the limbs such that if the limbs are too long or overloaded (for example, by decorations) the limbs would probably droop.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,780 to Lu discloses an artificial tree which features limbs pivotally connected to a trunk for easy folding and tensioned electrical wiring and auxiliary sleeve members for the limbs to impart structural rigidity to the tree. However, the pivotal connection of the limb to the tree and the connection of the electrical limb wires and trunk wies are relatively permanent connections in the sense that it would be difficult to detach a limb from the trunk for decorative, repair or replacement purposes. Also, it would appear that the tensioning of the wires for imparting structural rigidity to the tree and the repeated bending of the wires would weaken, and eventually break the wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,732 to Fisher discloses an artificial tree which, among other things, features detachable limbs for easy storage. Fisher discloses a trunk having female-type sockets each of which has electrical wires protruding from a back wall thereof. The limbs each have what the reference refers to as a male-type electrical connector which fits snugly into a female-type socket on the trunk. The protruding wires in the female-type socket are, in turn, received in corresponding openings in the male-type connector. The female-type sockets can also receive a decorative light instead of a limb. From a safety standpoint, these female-type sockets with protruding electrical wires are seen to be potentially hazardous. For example, a child could insert a finger or conductive object into the socket, contact the protruding wires, and receive an electrical shock. Also, other than the electrical connectors, the limbs have no structural support, such that the larger limbs, especially if decorated, would apparently droop. In addition, aligning the wires in the recessed female-type socket with the slot-like openings of the branch would appear to be both difficult and damaging to the wires.